5:30 crew: 15,12,9,6,3 rep rounds for time of Power Snatches, and Burpees

Saat mendengar kata harimau yang terbayang pasti si kucing besar yang buas itu. Harimau yang disini adalah salah satu program yang sedang berjalan di PTISDA BPPT. Harimau singkatan dari Hydrometeorological ARay for ISP Monsoon AUtomonitoring.

Setelah setahun ini bergerilya di sawah mencari organisme pengganggu tumbuhan,  kini saatnya publikasi hasil yang diperoleh dalam kegiatan Harimau. Tanggal 5 November 2009, PTISDA BPPT bekerja sama dengan BPP-OPT mengadakan Workshop Aplikasi Radar Cuaca untuk Peramalan Organisme Pengganggu Tumbuhan (OPT).

Rangkaian acara selama workshop adalah laporan-laporan kegiatan selama penelitian, aplikasi yang diterapkan untuk peramalan OPT, serta launching produk dari analisis peramalan OPT.

Produk yang di luncurkan berupa website peta sebaran OPT seluruh Indonesia. Yang dikerjakan tim BPPT dan data supportnya adalah tim dari BBP-OPT Jatisari, Karawang.

akses terbuka bisa dilihat disini:

http://neonet.bppt.go.id/opt/

halaman muka web OPT

Identifikasi OPT dengan Data Penginderan Jauh

Saya sendiri membawakan panel berjudul Pengamatan Sebaran OPT – BLB dengan Identifikasi Spektral Daun Terdampak Menggunakan Data Hiperspektral [unduh materi]. Yang isinya kurang lebih menjelaskan bahwa OPT (kasus : BLB) dapat diidentifikasi menggunakan data penginderaan jauh dengan efektif, cepat, dan efisien.

foto selama harimau ber-workshop

Metode yang digunakan untuk mengidentifikasi OPT dari data penginderaan jauh mengkombinasikan keja lapang dan kerja laboratorium setelahnya. Kerja lapang dilakukan untuk mengumpulkan spectral library daun padi yang terdampak OPT, sementara kerja di laboratorium melakukan olah data yang telah didapat di lapang sampai mengolah data satelit.

[cerita saat pengukuran di lapang]

Dengan mempunyai spectral library OPT kita bisa menggunakannya dengan citra penginderaan jauh apa saja, multispektral maupun hyperspektral, tentunya dengan memperhatikan syarat metode yang digunakan.

Pada panel ini saya menjelaskan spectral library daun padi terdampak OPT dijadikan sampel untuk klasifikasi sub-piksel menggunakan citra hiperspektral (HyMap). Hasilnya adalah tiap piksel citra HyMap (daerah penelitian) dapat menunjukkan persen daun padi yang terserang OPT dalam luasan sub-piksel citra. Hal ini bermanfaat dilakukan sebab dengan meramal luas serangan OPT ditingkat sub-piksel citra, maka luas daerah yang terserang OPT secara keseluruhan dapat ditentukan tanpa terjun langsung ke lapang.

Pun harus terjun langsung ke lapang, setidaknya sampel diambil berdasarkan hasil studi dengan citra HyMap, sehingga sampel yang didatangi tidak lagi acak-acakan, tapi sudah hasil sortir. Menghemat pekerjaan lapang.

Menariknya dalam studi ramal-meramal OPT adalah mengharapkan hasil ramalan OPT salah. Mengapa demikian ? Para petani menginginkan sawahnya bebas OPT, bukan ?

Setelah acara ini berlangsung, teriring doa bersama semoga hasil penelitian yang dilakukan selama ini dapat bermanfaat untuk umat. Tidak sekedar menjadi hiasan meja saja, tapi bisa diimplementasikan oleh pihak-pihak yang berurusan dengan pertanian dan OPT khususnya.

La mondialisation, c’est aussi l’accélération de la circulation des informations grâce aux télécommunications, à la téléphonie et à l’internet. La Polynésie française a pris du retard par rapport à ses voisins et quelquefois concurrents du Pacifique. Hawaii, Fidji, la Nouvelle-Calédonie ont un secteur TIC performant et plus dynamique que le nôtre. Chez eux, le cable haut débit est déjà une réalité.

60.000 lignes fixes, 60.000 abonnés au réseau vini. En Polynésie, comme dans de nombreux pays du monde, le point de basculement a été atteint en 2006 au bénéfice de la téléphonie mobile. Un chiffre d’affaires en téléphonie fixe en perte de vitesse, contre un chiffre d’affaires en téléphonie mobile en pleine expansion et qui atteindra bientôt le double du fixe. Les filiales de l’opérateur historique OPT surfent sur la vague des TIC, pendant que l’OPT n’a pas su s’adapter à la nouvelle donne des nouvelles technologies internet. Le monopole s’est assoupi en se contentant de “toucher” des dividendes pantagruéliques de ses diverses filiales en situation, elles aussi, de monopole. Monopoles longtemps voulus par la puissance publique. En effet, nos gouvernements successifs n’ont accepté “‘l’ouverture à la concurrence” qu’à reculons. Le discours d’ouverture était là, mais les actes de fermeture persistaient.

L’accès internet est toujours verrouillé par Mana. Une autre vache à lait dont le chiffre d’affaires, avec 30.000 raccordements,  s’accroit de manière exponentielle : quelques centaines de millions il y a quelques années et plus de 2 milliards de F CFP en 2009. Et il n’est pas prévu de “déverrouillage” à court ou moyen terme, arrivée du cable sous-marin oblige…

Après plusieurs années d’annonce, on attend toujours l’arrivée du premier concurrent de Tikiphone, devenu la première “vache à lait” du colosse aux pieds d’argile qu’est devenu l’OPT . Il semble, en outre, que ce premier outsider soit quelque peu fragile, contrairement aux deux autres qui se pressent au portillon. Mais nos “ministres de l’OPT” successifs tiennent soigneusement ces redoutables concurrents à distance, notamment l’opérateur Digicel qui a fait ses preuves dans de nombreux pays insulaires. Le Pays est le maitre des horloges et sait appliquer code et procédures pour reporter ces “arrivées imminentes” aux calendes grecques.

Rappelons-nous, de plus, qu’un montant de 3 milliards de F CFP de dividendes de l’OPT devait participer à l’équilibre du projet de budget 2010 du Pays.Filiales vaches à lait de l’OPT et OPT vache à lait du Pays : la boucle est bouclée.

Il est vrai que le Pays et l’OPT se sont engagés enfin dans une oeuvre majeure : Honotua. C’est décidé. L’existence du cable haut débit permettra à la Polynésie française de rejoindre enfin ses grands voisins du Pacifique et elle sera la nouvelle vache à lait de l’OPT. Son coût pour la Polynésie est estimé à 9 milliards de F CFP et sa mise en service est attendue pour la mi-2010. 

L’arrivée du cable Honotua peut effectivement être une opportunité exceptionnelle : production de nouveaux contenus, décollage du ecommerce, nouveaux services, accélération de la création audio-visuelle…..La créativité humaine dans ces nouveaux domaines sera mise à l’honneur. L’économie numérique en Polynésie pourra enfin prendre son envol.

Vis à vis des investisseurs dans le domaine des TIC, la Polynésie française retrouvera une attractivité perdue face à ses concurrents de la région.

Mais – et on ne le dira jamais assez – cette opportunité ne prendra son plein effet qu’avec l’instauration d’une réelle concurrence. Ce n’est qu’à cette condition que l’on pourra combattre la fracture numérique, notamment dans l’usage de l’internet. En effet, malgré une forte croissance, l’usage de l’internet à pris du retard en polynésie par rapport aux pays au niveau de vie comparable au nôtre.

Aussi,  l’annonce du “vieux renard” aux commandes de l’OPT, compagnon de route du Ministre sortant de “l’économe numérique” a fait l’effet d’une douche froide. Seulement 20 % de réduction annoncée du tarif moyen pour le raccordement à internet. On pourrait se dire : un investissement si coûteux pour la collectivité ( avec défiscalisation à la clef) seulement pour çà ? La montagne n’aurait-elle pas accouché d’une souris ?

On voit la stratégie : plutôt que de remettre en cause son modèle économique vieillissant, l’ OPT a décidé de continuer à faire de ses filiales ses vaches à lait, au détriment des consommateurs polynésiens.

Pour compléter l’éclairage, je livre à votre réflexion un extrait d’un récent article publié par les échos intitulé ” l’internet par satellite, des offres séduisantes” , qui a attiré mon attention:

“Vingt-neuf euros quatre-vingt-dix. C’est le prix d’un abonnement Internet par satellite. Impensable il y a dix ans, vu les coûts exorbitants de cette technologie. Une aubaine aujourd’hui pour les exclus du numérique que les ondes hertziennes peinent à atteindre et chez qui le haut débit terrestre n’arrivera jamais. Dans le cadre du plan gouvernemental France numérique 2012 qui vise à combler les zones blanches, de nouvelles offres d’accès à Internet par satellite ont, en effet, vu le jour. Moins chères, plus rapides, elles changent la vie de ceux qui surfent encore à partir d’une ligne téléphonique classique (RTC) avec une qualité de service qui se situe entre la 3G+ et l’ADSL”…..

Conversion très arrondie de 30 euros : 3600 F CFP par mois l’abonnement satellitaire….

Investissement dans un cable haut débit qui réduit notre facture actuelle exorbitante de seulement 20 % et technologie satellitaire qui redevient performante: il y a un problème quelque part….Ne nous ferait-on pas prendre les vessies pour des lanternes ?

Sans concurrence, sans changement drastique de stratégie globale et de politique tarifaire, sans remise en cause de cette politique de vaches à lait de l’OPT,  je crois bien que 9 milliards de F CFP d’investissement plus tard, les citoyens-consommateurs polynésiens seront encore les dindons de la farce. Sans “démocratisation de l’accès à internet”qui passe forcément par la coupure du cordon ombilical ” OPT- Mana-accès à internet”, la fracture numérique sera encore une triste réalité en Polynésie.

Nos décideurs politiques doivent donc contribuer à changer les modèles économiques des TIC polynésiennes. Il y a là un potentiel de croissance et de développement économique, bloqué actuellement, qu’on ne peut plus négliger, notamment en faveur des jeunes générations de polynésiens qui peuvent y trouver un domaine d’expression fantastique.

Today’s suggestion is to get involved in the Open Directory on the World Wide Web by applying to be an editor for the directory. The idea is to assist in manually categorising web sites submitted to the directory

For more information on the Open Directory visit:

http://dmoz.org

I have enough work in maintaining and adding to the many web sites, blogs, etc, that I own. So I’ll opt out of getting involved in this project, but none-the-less think it is a very worthwhile one.

5:30 crew: Bench dead dip raise external rotation toes-to-bar (day 5 same as day 1).

New York Senator Chuck Shumer made a very good point to opponents of the health care plan’s public option, specifically, that they should allow a plan that lets conservative states opt out. His argument is this: its all well and good if you – as a senator representing a red state – believe you’re serving your constituents well by saying “thanks but no thanks” to the public option (you may be wrong, btw, since many of the poorest states are red.) Regardless, they elected you to represent them, and if your judgment tells you that the public option is a bad idea, opt your state out of it. However, a senator is overreaching a bit when he makes the case that the public option is a bad idea for the entire country.

No single senator or pair of senators from a single state should have the power to deprive other states from a public option. The argument that allowing any states access to a public option would be too expensive is a scurrilous one, because this country cannot currently afford health care and medicare costs anyway. The amount medicare pays out for end-of-life coverage totalled $50 billion last year, more than the budgets of either the Dept. of Education or Homeland Security. That’s just money being spent artificially keeping people alive who typically will never recover from their condition (in other words, money spent trying to deny that we are mortal and that every person’s time comes.)

This kind of spending doesn’t make any kind of sense, nor does it make healthy Americans any healthier, but we don’t deprive people of this coverage. Any senator who would try to do so would face an angry, scared mob at every turn, and likely face electoral defeat. In America, we simply don’t pull the plug; not without consent of the patient or family…as long as medicare covers them, of course. And medicare seemingly covers everyone.

Many of us fear death so much, we wish for it to never come, and when it does, it must be as peaceful and comfortable as technology allows, damn the cost. Maybe deep down Americans think they should be immortal, and so do everything they can to make that a reality. And then there are always miracles; unexplainable happenings that result in recovery from death’s door. But miracles don’t come to everyone, and the human mortality rate remains a steady 100.00%, just as it always has since the dawn of man.

And let me reiterate; that total medicare sum on end-of-life care alone is greater than the total sum the federal government spends keeping us safe from terrorism and worse, more than it spends on educating our youth. We spend more on the past than the future. At what point does damning the cost damn ourselves, and our future? So there’s a double standard – as well as an overreaching of power – on the part of public option opponents. They allow such unbridled spending on the dying – which will increase as our population grows older – yet won’t allow healthy people to be insured the only way they can: by a public option.

Sorry, but you can’t hold both views and be taken seriously. One of the reasons Obama was elected was to make progress on health care reform, something that could have been fixed earlier and cheaper had previous congresses not sat on their hands so long doing absolutely nothing while insurance and drug companies ruthlessly shook down the American people and built such a strong precident for doing so, that even minute reform would elicit a big stink from them. It’s not the job of a red senator to deprive a blue senator from providing for their constituents, or vice versa. Reform must contain a public option that can either be opted out or opted in on. Further delay will only cost more lives…and bank accounts.

And however all this pans out, we spend more on the past than the future at our peril. I guarantee you, our strategic rivals around the world are spending more on the future. They know they’re mortal…and so are we.

5:30 crew: Chin-up’s/Back squats, Chin-up’s/Lunges, Powell raise/Anchored sit-up’s

5:30 crew:

A1. bench press @ 50X1; 6-8 x 4; rest 90 sec

A2. snatch grip dead lift with straps @ 41X1; 5-7 x 4; rest 90 sec

B1. dips @ 4010; 6-8 x 3; rest 75 sec

B2. GHD Raises @ 2020; 10-15 x 3; rest 75 sec

C1. db ext rot @ 3010; 8-10/arm x 3; rest 60 sec

C2. toes to bar; 12 reps x 3; rest 60 sec

Good times at the gym this past Saturday.  Great effort and intensity from Becky, Ryan, Marcus, Katie, Kurt, and Jon.  I had great media support from Ryan, and Kurt but I was not able to reciprocate to the level I would have liked.  The media logistics will have to be improved before the next competition.  Thanks to Christie and Tony for the support, and to all the kids who showed a ton of patience. Here is a link to the video’s I have loaded, and these are the WOD’s we did:

Workout 1:
For power ratio:
Row 800 m
rest 5 min
Workout 2:
7 sets (95#/60#) for time;
Power Snatch x 1
Snatch Balance x 1
OHS x 1
Hang Squat Snatch x 1
rest 5 min
Workout 3:
As many rounds (total reps) in 3 minutes;
3 chest to bar chin ups unbroken
3 push up burpees
rest 240 min
Workout 4:
For time;
50 walking lunges
20 clean and jerk – 135#/95#
30 ring dips
25 wall balls – 20#/14# to 10ft
30 GHD Sit Ups
30 KBS – 1.5pd/1pd
75 double unders

5:30 crew:

Squat Clean – build to a weight that feels fast for 1; no struggle out of bottom
+
Chin Ups – 3 sets of 10 unbroken – high speed
+
3 rds:
20 double unders
Row 20 sec
rest 1 min

5:30 Crew: Dead Lift – 55% 1RM; 6 sets of 2; rest 45 sec
(speed on concentric)
+
Wall Balls – 20/14# to 10 ft – 15 reps; 30 sec rest x 3
+
Muscle Up practice (3-5 min)
+
Toes to Bar – 2 sets of 10

post loads and notes to comments

Christie’s Class:

Front Squat 3-3-3-3-3
Rest
Tabata pushups (20 seconds on and 10 seconds off for 8 rounds)

Post loads and total pushups to comments.

5:30 crew:

Power Snatch – 3 x 3; rest 240 sec
rest 5 min
3 rounds for time;
35 double unders
12 burpees
rest 5 min
20 back extensions x 3; rest 60 sec

post loads and times and notes to comments

Parents are to lose their right to opt their children out of sex education classes once they reach the age of 15…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: teacher education. The blog is also related to: skool.

Historian and writer Tariq Ali and Professor Noam Chomsky speak in London 29 October 2009 on U.S. hypocrisy toward Iran,  U.S. occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the U.S. role as Israel’s enabler and ‘mafia godfather’, Palestinian leadership’s ‘collaboration’ with the U.S. and Israel against a ’solution’, international law, the hopes for peace in the near future and the double game the Obama Administration plays with its rhetoric and contrary actions. Mr. Ali begins speaking around the 7:00 mark, Prof Chomsky around the 21:00 mark and a Q&A follows where he suggests a “no-state solution” as “the best solution for the whole world”. (1:57:40):

Noam Chomsky: No Change in U.S. ‘Mafia Principle’

by Mamoon Alabbasi

1 Nov 09 | Middle East Online

As civilised people across the world breathed a sigh of relief to see the back of former U.S. president George W. Bush, top American intellectual Noam Chomsky warned against assuming or expecting significant changes in the basis of Washington’s foreign policy under President Barack Obama.

During two lectures organised by the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, Chomsky cited numerous examples of the driving doctrines behind U.S. foreign policy since the end of World War II.

“As Obama came into office, Condoleezza Rice predicted that he would follow the policies of Bush’s second term, and that is pretty much what happened, apart from a different rhetorical style,” said

“But it is wise to attend to deeds, not rhetoric. Deeds commonly tell a different story,” he added.

“There is basically no significant change in the fundamental traditional conception that we if can control Middle East energy resources, then we can control the world,” explained Chomsky.

Chomsky said that a leading doctrine of U.S. foreign policy during the period of its global dominance is what he termed as “the Mafia principle.”

“The Godfather does not tolerate ’successful defiance’. It is too dangerous. It must therefore be stamped out so that others understand that disobedience is not an option,” said Chomsky.

Because the U.S. sees “successful defiance” of Washington as a “virus” that will “spread contagion,” he explained.

Iran

The U.S. had feared this “virus” of independent thought from Washington by Tehran and therefore acted to overthrow the Iranian parliamentary democracy in 1953.

“The goal in 1953 was to retain control of Iranian resources,” said Chomsky.

However, “in 1979 the [Iranian] virus emerged again. The U.S. at first sought to sponsor a military coup; when that failed, it turned to support Saddam Hussein’s merciless invasion [of Iran].”

“The torture of Iran continued without a break and still does, with sanctions and other means,” said Chomsky.

“The U.S. continued, without a break, its torture of Iranians,” he stressed.

Nuclear attack

Chomsky mocked the idea presented by mainstream media that a future-nuclear-armed Iran may attack already-nuclear-armed Israel.

“The chance of Iran launching a missile attack, nuclear or not, is about at the level of an asteroid hitting the earth—unless, of course, the ruling clerics have a fanatic death wish and want to see Iran instantly incinerated along with them,” said Chomsky, stressing that this is not the case.

Chomsky further explained that the presence of U.S. anti-missile weapons in Israel are really meant for preparing a possible attack on Iran, and not for self-defence, as it is often presented.

“The systems are advertised as defense against an Iranian attack. But …the purpose of the U.S. interception systems, if they ever work, is to prevent any retaliation to a U.S. or Israeli attack on Iran—that is, to eliminate any Iranian deterrent,” said Chomsky.

Iraq

Chomsky reminded the audience of America’s backing of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during and even after Iraq’s war with Iran.

“The Reaganite love affair with Saddam did not end after the [Iran-Iraq] war. In 1989, Iraqi nuclear engineers were invited to the United States, then under Gorge Bush I, to receive advanced weapons’ training,” said Chomsky.

This support continued while Saddam was committing atrocities against his own people, until he fell out of U.S. favour when in 1990 he invaded Kuwait, an even closer alley of Washington.

“In 1990, Saddam defied, or more likely misunderstood orders, and he quickly shifted from favourite friend to the reincarnation of Hitler,” Chomsky added.

Then the people of Iraq were subjected to “genocidal” U.S.-backed sanctions.

Chomsky explained that although the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, which was launched under many false pretexts and lies, was a ” major crime”, many critics of the invasion—including Obama—viewed it as merely as “a mistake” or a “strategic blunder”.

“It’s probably what the German general staff was telling Hitler after Stalingrad,” he said

“There’s nothing principled about it. It wasn’t a strategic blunder: it was a major crime,” he added.

Chomsky credited the holding of elections in Iraq in 2005 to popular Iraqi demand, despite initial U.S. objection.

The US military, he argued, could kill as many Iraqi insurgents as it wished, but it was more difficult to shoot at non-violent protesters in the streets out on the open, which meant Washington at times had to give in to public Iraqi pressure.

But despite being pressured to announce a withdrawal from Iraq, the U.S. continues to seek a long term presence in the country.

The U.S. mega-embassy in Baghdad is to be expanded under Obama, noted Chomsky.

Optimism

Chomsky stressed that public pressure in the ‘West’ can make a positive difference for people suffering from the aggression of ‘Western’ governments.

“There is a lot of comparison between opposition to the Iraq war with opposition to the Vietnam war, but people tend to forget that at first there was almost no opposition to the Vietnam war,” said Chomsky.

“In the Iraq war, there were massive international protests before it officially stated… and it had an effect. The United Sates could not use the tactics used in Vietnam: there was no saturation bombing by B-52s, so there was no chemical warfare—[the Iraq war was] horrible enough, but it could have been a lot worse,” he said.

“And furthermore, the Bush administration had to back down on its war aims, step by step,” he added.

“It had to allow elections, which it did not want to do: mainly a victory for non-Iraqi protests. They could kill insurgents; they couldn’t deal hundreds of thousands of people in the streets. Their hands were tied by the domestic constraints. They finally had to abandon—officially at least—virtually all the war aims,” said Chomsky.

“As late as November 2007, the U.S. was still insisting that the ‘Status of Forces Agreement’ allow for an indefinite U.S. military presence and privileged access to Iraq’s resources by U.S. investors—well they didn’t get that on paper at least. They had to back down. OK, Iraq is a horror story but it could have been a lot worse,” he said

“So yes, protests can do something. When there is no protest and no attention, a power just goes wild, just like in Cambodia and northern Louse,” he added.

Turkey

Chomsky said that Turkey could become a “significant independent actor” in the region, if it chooses to.

“Turkey has to make some internal decisions: is it going to face west and try to get accepted by the European Union or is it going to face reality and recognise that Europeans are so racist that they are never going to allow it in?,” said Chomsky.

The Europeans “keep raising the barrier on Turkish entry to the E.U.,” he explained.

But Chomsky said Turkey did become an independent actor in March 2003 when it followed its public opinion and did not take part in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Turkey took notice of the wishes of the overwhelming majority of its population, which opposed the invasion.

But ‘New Europe’ was led by Berlusconi of Italy and Aznar of Spain, who rejected the views of their populations—which strongly objected to the Iraq war—and preferred to follow Bush, noted Chomsky.

So, in that sense Turkey was more democratic than states that took part in the war, which in turn infuriated the U.S..

Today, Chomsky added, Turkey is also acting independently by refusing to take part in the U.S.-Israeli military exercises.

Fear factor

Chomsky explained that although ‘Western’ government use “the maxim of Thucydides” (‘the strong do as they wish, and the weak suffer as they must’), their peoples are hurled via the “fear factor”.

Via cooperate media and complicit intellectuals, the public is led to believe that all the crimes and atrocities committed by their governments is either “self defence” or “humanitarian intervention”.

NATO

Chomsky noted that Obama has escalated Bush’s war in Afghanistan, using NATO.

NATO is also seen as reinforcing U.S. control over energy supplies.

But the U.S. also used NATO to keep Europe under control.

“From the earliest post-World War days, it was understood that Western Europe might choose to follow an independent course,” said Chomsky.”NATO was partially intended to counter this serious threat,” he added.

Middle East oil

Chomsky explained that Middle East oil reserves were understood to be “a stupendous source of strategic power” and “one of the greatest material prizes in world history,” the most “strategically important area in the world,” in Eisenhower’s words.

Control of Middle East oil would provide the United States with “substantial control of the world.”

This meant that the U.S. “must support harsh and brutal regimes and block democracy and development” in the Middle East.

Somalia

Chomsky tackled the origins of the Somali piracy issue.

“Piracy is not nice, but where did it come from?”

Chomsky explained that one of the immediate reasons for piracy is European counties and others are simply “destroying Somalia’s territorial waters by dumping toxic waste—probably nuclear waste—and also by overfishing.”

“What happens to the fishermen in Somalia? They become pirates. And then we’re all upset about the piracy, not about having created the situation,” said Chomsky.

Chomsky went on to cite another example of harming Somalia.

“One of the great achievements of the war on terror, which was greatly hailed in the press when it was announced, was closing down an Islamic charity—Barakat—which was identified as supporting terrorists.

“A couple of months later… the [U.S.] government quietly recognised that they were wrong, and the press may have had a couple of lines about it—but meanwhile, it was a major blow against Somalia. Somalia doesn’t have much of an economy but a lot of it was supported by this charity: not just giving money but running banks and businesses, and so on.

“It was a significant part of the economy of Somalia…closing it down… was another contributing factor to the breaking down of a very weak society…and there are other examples.”

Darfur

Chomsky also touched on Sudan’s Darfur region.

“There are terrible things going on in Darfur, but in comparison with the region they don’t amount to a lot unfortunately—like what’s going on in eastern Congo is incomparably worse than in Darfur.

“But Darfur is a very popular topic for Western humanists because you can blame it on an enemy – you have to distort a lot but you can blame it on ‘Arabs’, ‘bad guys’,” he explained.

“What about saving eastern Cong where maybe 20 times as many people have been killed? Well, that gets kind of tricky… for people who… are using minerals from eastern Congo that obtained by multinationals sponsoring militias which slaughter and kill and get the minerals,” he said.

Or the fact that Rwanda is simply the worst of the many agents and it is a U.S. alley, he added.

Goldstone’s Gaza report

Chomsky appeared to have agreed with Israel that the Goldstone report on the Gaza war was bias, only he saw it as biased in favour of Israel.

The Goldstone report had acknowledged Israel’s right to self-defence, although it denounced the method this was conducted.

Chomsky stressed that the right to self-defence does not mean resorting to military force before “exhausting peaceful means”, something Israel did not even contemplate doing.

In fact, Chomsky points out, it was Israel who broke the ceasefire with Hamas and refused to extend it, as continuing the siege of Gaza itself is an act of war.

As for the current stalled Mideast peace process, Chomsky said that despite adopting a tougher tone towards Israel than that of Bush, Obama made no real effort to pressure Israel to live up to its obligations.

In the absence of the threat of cutting U.S. aid for Israel, there is no compelling reason why Tel Aviv should listen to Washington.

What can be done?

Chomsky stressed that despite all the obstacles, public pressure can and does make a difference for the better, urging people to continue activism and spreading knowledge.

“There is no reason to be pessimistic, just realistic.”

Chomsky noted that public opinion in the U.S. and Britain is increasingly becoming more aware of the crimes committed by Israel.

“Public opinion is shifting substantially.”

And this is where a difference can be made, because Israel will not change its policies without pressure from the ‘West’.

“There is a lot to do in Western countries… primarily in the U.S.”

Chomsky also stressed the importance of taking legal action in ‘Western’ countries against companies breaking international law via illegitimate dealings with Israel, citing the possible involvement of British Gas in Israeli theft of natural gas off the coast of Gaza, as one example that should be investigated.

In conclusion of one of the lectures, Chomsky quoted Antonio Gramsci who famously called for “pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.”

Dear Mr. Daggett

I am voting for you. I hope you win however if you do I do not want you to OPT OUT of the PUBLIC OPTION Health care for the state of NJ. We need that public option here in NJ and I know not only myself and my business cannot afford health care at the hands of these greedy insurance companies. Have you seen SAW VI? It’s all about how the producers of SAW feel about health care in America and these lowlife insurance companies who we pay big bucks all our lives to and when we need them to pay for life saving treatments they refuse.

Pardon my language but fuck these insurance companies WE, THE PEOPLE in America need to give them a run for their greedy buck and we also need to kick them out of our country. Their tenure is over, their time is extinguished.

Very truly yours,
Catherine Haig Bonjukian
Washington, NJ

Now those fucking idiots in the Senate are saying that the STATE GOVERNOR’S HAVE THE RIGHT TO “OPT-OUT” OF THE PUBLIC  OPTION IF THEY SO CHOOSE.

My residence is in NJ and if there is a PUBLIC OPTION TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS PACKAGE and THAT FUCKTARD CHRISTIE IS NOMINATED AS GOV AND HE OPTS OUT I WILL FUCKING KILL HIM.

PLEASE NJ ITES VOTE FOR DAGGETT OR A DEMOCRAT – REPUBLICAN IS JUST NOT THE WAY – ESPECIALLY WITH THIS PUBLIC OPTION HANGING IN THE BALANCE OR

WRITE TO YOUR SENATORS AND ASK THEM TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC OPTION AND NOT LEAVE IT UP TO THE STATE GOVERNORS TO OPT OUT

—BONJU PATTEN

Mes précédents billets étaient -hélas- prémonitoires. Déclin économique structurel, plan de relance mort-né, ressources publiques en chute libre, comptes sociaux catastrophiques obligent nos décideurs politiques à une “gestion de crise à chaud” dans le désarroi le plus total. Résultat d’une politique à courte vue qui dure depuis au moins 5 ans, où les équipes qui se succèdent à un rythme infernal au pouvoir n’ont pas eu la volonté, ni le temps d’élaborer et de déployer une stratégie globale de développement déclinée en stratégies sectorielles dignes de ce nom.

On perçoit très nettement les limites de cette politique du chien crevé au fil de l’eau. Notre économie est en plein marasme et ne peut plus financer le niveau de développement social que nous avions instauré du temps des vaches grasses. Les vaches sont devenues maigres, ce qui fait dire à certains que nous vivons de plus en plus au-dessus de nos moyens.

Conclusion logique, lorsque nous constatons que nos ressources propres ont régressé de manière considérable. Au bas mot, 30 à 40 milliards de F CFP de valeur ajoutée globale, dont 10 milliards de F CFP de salaires ( 4000 emplois détruits) se sont évaporés cette année. Nous en voyons les effets en chaine : perte de recettes fiscales et de cotisations sociales sont la face émergée de l’iceberg, les drames sociaux que vivent nombre de familles polynésiennes en étant la face immergée.

Nos gouvernants en sont réduits à parer au plus pressé : redressement au forceps des comptes de la protection sociale généralisée, séminaires budgétaires pour faire avaler à l’opinion publique des prélèvements fiscaux supplémentaires inévitables qui seront une combinaison d’augmentation de la CST et de la TVA, l’impôt sur le revenu ne faisant pas “consensus”, bien au contraire.

Comme je l’annonçais, l’administration sera à la diète avec -15 % d’économies sur le budget de fonctionnement de l’année 2010. Dommage collatéral : les budgets d’intervention qui viennent en appui au secteur privé sont, eux aussi touchés. On peut même se demander si la défiscalisation locale accordée aux “entreprises amies” ne sera pas remise en cause. Le message aux entreprises est clair et le Président du Pays l’a même explicitement déclaré : débrouillez-vous!

Tout est passé à la moulinette : non remplacement des départs à la retraite, gel des postes vacants, remise en cause de  la programmation des concours administratifs. Nos jeunes diplômés sont les sacrifiés de cette austérité draconienne. Ils sont priés de rester chez “papa-maman”, le temps qu’on revienne à meilleure fortune. Celà ne sera pas avant 2011-2012. Et encore … L’aggravation du chômage, notamment celui des jeunes, est inévitable.

On en est pas encore réduit à vendre les bijoux de famille, mais presque., puisqu’on demande à l’OPT et aux opérateurs de téléphonie mobile d’anticiper le paiement de certains droits d’entrée et que certains envisagent de privatiser la TEP… La discussion sur le périmètre du secteur public s’amorce à peine, mais on ne fera pas l’économie de cette réflexion. Tant les marges de manoeuvre s’amoindrissent devant la dégradation accélérée des finances publiques du Pays et des communes.

Quant au secteur privé, il en sera encore réduit à réduire la voilure, à comprimer les coûts encore et encore, quitte à précariser la situation des salariés ou à détruire les emplois. Il faut dire que deux années de marasme et de relances avortées ont mis à mal les comptes d’exploitation des entreprises. Face au pouvoir d’achat en berne des ménages, une majorité d’entreprises en est à chercher les moyens de la survie. Dans ce domaine, la crise économique va accroitre le nombre d’entreprises qui vont rester sur le carreau. Seules vont survivre celles qui sauront faire preuve de leur capacité d’adaptation à la situation.

Cercle vicieux infernal : récession, chômage accru, demande des ménages en berne, chute brutale des ressources publiques face à une certaine inertie des dépenses, budgets d’investissement et d’intervention réduits à la portion congrue qui nécessitent l’alourdissement de la fiscalité, et ce, en pleine crise économique où le pouvoir d’achat des ménages est en régression…. L’effet cumulatif de la récession en chaine ne pourra être limité que par un recours accru à l’endettement. Mais là, le flou artistique est total en ce qui concerne les intentions du gouvernement.

La cohésion sociale sera mise à mal, car les tentatives de rejeter la charge de l’effort “sur les autres” sera très forte. On voit clairement les débuts de cette défausse lorsqu’il s’agit du sauvetage dans l’urgence de la protection sociale généralisée. La remise en cause des acquis ne se fera pas sans cris et raidissements corporatistes. Société de défiance alors qu’il s’agit de restaurer la confiance….

La tentation est donc très forte d’appeler à l’aide l’Etat au titre de la solidarité nationale et de la “République une et indivisible”. Un Etat qui promet à condition que…, qui observe, qui donne des leçons… mais qui ne “lâche rien”, bien au contraire. Le désengagement des dernières années se voit de plus en plus. Les transferts publics croissent, certes, mais à un rythme de plus en plus faible. Jusqu’à une “reprise en main” dont on  ne perçoit pas encore la forme ? Les discussions âpres entre l’Etat et le Pays sur la Dotation Globale d’Autonomie ( date et montant de l’indexation de cette dotation, proportion réservée au fonctionnement et à l’investissement…) sont l’un des nombreux signes d’une conditionnalité accrue de l’aide de l’Etat dans tous les domaines.

La sueur et les larmes dans l’urgence n’est que le signe avant-coureur des nécessaires réformes qui nous attendent dans les années à venir. Encore faut-il faire preuve d’esprit de prospective pour éclairer notre avenir. “Il n’y a pas de vents favorables pour ceux qui ne savent pas où ils vont”. (Lucius Annaeus Seneca – Sénèque).

5:30 crew:

part 1:
A1. OHS @ 32X1; 4-6 x 4; rest 120 sec
notes – ass to grass
A2. Mixed Grip Chin Ups @ 41X1; 3-5 x 4; rest 120 sec
notes – switch grips per set, one hand supinated, one pronated
B1. BB Forward Lunges @ 10X0; 4-5/leg alternating x 3; rest 90 sec
notes – push through heel to get up, alt legs/rep
B2. 1 arm KB Power Row @ 4022; amrap with 1.5/1pd x 3; rest 90 sec
notes – elbows high at top, one hand on bench/support, body in tripod position

post wod fuel male:
above 12% – 40g prot/10g carb
8-12% – 40g prot/25g carb
below 8% – 40g prot/40g carb
post wod fuel – female:
above 16% – 30g prot/10g carb
12-14% – 30g prot/20g carb
below 12% – 30g prot/30g carb
eat a balanced PFC meal 45-60 min after post wod fuel for everyone (P=protein, F=fat, C=carb)

rest 8+ hours

part 2:
light jog – 30 sec
90% high effort run – 30 sec
walk – 30 sec
repeat 10 times
maintain same high output speed for run for middle 30 sec

Christie’s Class:

“Tabata Something Else”
Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are pull-ups, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals are sit-ups, and finally, the last 8 intervals are squats.

Total lowest score for each exercise and post to comments.

5:30 crew:

1 min interval runs
(1st 20 sec increasing speed to top speed by 20 sec; 2nd 20 sec maintenance at top speed; 3rd 20 sec decreasing speed from 40-60 sec)
rest/walk 3 min; repeat 8 times